MUMBAI: As far back as March 2020, the Maharashtra Maritime Board had written to the public works department to desist from constructing the anti-erosion wall along the Versova beach as no permissions had been sought or granted.
The demand for the anti-erosion wall was made by residents around 2015. Versova MLA Bharati Lavekar said residents had complained of erosion and had asked for an anti-erosion wall.
"The public works department should have repaired and fortified the existing retaining wall along the beach instead of constructing another wall, which would have split the beach in Versova in the middle. Although the demand for an anti-erosion wall came from residents of the area, it is for the government agencies to ascertain the best environment-friendly method to be implemented to contain erosion.-TimesView"
“I was newly elected and this was one of the first issues that was brought to me. I had taken it up with the government. There was a survey carried out by the government and it was found that an anti-erosion wall was necessary. Thereafter, I followed up with the state government and the Centre for funds. Union minister Nitin Gadkari agreed to give the major portion of the funds through the Centre and the then chief minister Devendra Fadnavis agreed to provide the remainder,” said Lavekar.
Lavekar said as an elected representative she had taken up the people’s issue, arranged funds for the same. “It was for the public works department, the environment department and the Maharashtra Maritime Board to work together and ensure all permissions are in place before starting work. Complaints have come now when the work is nearing completion. I have, therefore, asked for a meeting where all stakeholders are present and the issue is sorted out,” she said.
Shiv Sena MP from North West Mumbai Gajanan Kirtikar too claimed he had been following up on the matter for an anti-erosion wall for five years as the beach was getting eroded. “The project was approved by the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority and is at an advanced stage. There have been complaints that residents are unable to walk on account of the hindrance and suburban guardian minister Aditya Thackeray has stayed the work temporarily. It is my opinion that the anti-erosion wall must be built as well as residents must be able to walk on the beach without hindrance,” he has said in his letter to the public works department.
Kiritikar will now take a walk on the beach on August 25 with the authorities and locals to understand the issue.
The letter from the MMB to the the PWD stated they had received a complaint from activist Zoru Bhathena about work being carried out without following environmental norms. “For any work along the coast the NOC from the MMB is mandatory. The work on the anti-erosion wall has been undertaken without obtaining the NOC and it must be stopped immediately,” states the letter.
